As a pre birthday celebration, my oldest friend and I decided to book a trip. Just to celebrate the last days before the age counter added a year. We opted for Dublin, a city that we both had not seen yet. It was one of those cities in Europe that I thought was a must see.

Our accommodation was located close to Stephen’s Green, so lots of the sights were a walking distance away. Leesson Inn Downtown was a good accommodation. It’s simple, central and quite good priced. Dublin is in general an expensive city. The staff was really friendly (Especially after a spider incident 😉 )

So.. what did we do & see? And did I like the city?

Things to see

Guinness Storehouse & Jameson Distillery
I remember having my first Guinness when I was living in Paris. It was a bad first experience and I didn’t like the taste. 3 years later, I decided to try it again. During the tasting part, the lady explained us to never nip your Guinness but to take a BIG sip to fully grasp the real taste. I was pleasantly surprised because I liked the flavour (Maybe its a growing up thing?). After exploring the Storehouse, which is full of cool areas (Something about a fish on a bike), we enjoyed a complementary pint at the Gravity Bar with great views of Dublin.
At the Jameson Distillery, we got an insight into the production of Jameson. Really cool, with lots of fun insider facts. Our tour guide had a great knowledge but had used his jokes too often that day 😉 #sorrynotsorry. After the whisky tasting, including 3 shots of different brands, we were offered a drink on the house. I had never tried whisky-ginger ale, but I really like this combination, it is going to be my new fav!

Dublin Castle
Supposed to be a must see in Dublin, we included the Castle in our planning. Do I think it’s a must see? No, at least not for me. You get to see really less of the castle, I think we left the place in 15-20 minutes. I think for the amount you get to experience, there shouldn’t be an entrance fee.

St Patrick’s
One cool church! Every time I am abroad, I limit my church visits to 1 maybe 2. Call me a barbarian, but when I see one, I have seen them all. St Patrick’s on the other hand, will be one of those churches I’ll remember. I think the church is very interactive with its visitors. You can leave wishes for your loved ones, find out more about the church on a big touch screen (this church clearly supports the evolution) and there is a drawing section for kids! The inside of the church isn’t much special compared to others, but I really like the free and positive vibes of St Patrick’s, which make it a happy place!

Trinity college
For me, this was one of the things I was most looking forward to, especially the old library. And I didn’t get disappointed. Wow! This was absolutely breathtaking. So many old books with an incredible value. I only could imagine how much work it takes to take care of this library. I felt like I was in a movie and could feel going back in time. Love the places where my imagination starts running on its own.

Where to eat
I’ll only sum up those places that stood out and would recommend on going to.

Pygmalion
I had a yummy quinoa salad with goat cheese, apple and beets! On the side, some sweet potato fries. The pink lemonade was amazing. I asked the waiter for the recipe and he was kind enough to share it. It won’t take long for me to try the salad and lemonade at home.

Ladurée
No need to say anything. Ladurée is always a good idea.

Itsa
A recommendation for bagel lovers!

Taco Taco
A great variety of Mexican food combined with a trendy and young venue. Oh, and a very handsome waiter. MUST try: peanut butter ice cream as dessert. You won’t regret it. (It was too dark to take any pictures, sorry!)

Yay or nay?

All in all I can say I had a good time in Dublin and I had a blast with my friend. However, I am not sure whether Dublin is really my cup of tea. For me, the city had something sober, dusty and monotone. I expected it to be more folkloric and diverse. The thing with diversity is that, in general, I am a curious person and I like to see different things and get different vibes. In this city I only felt the same vibe everywhere I went and wasn’t triggered or surprised after a while. The wow factor was missing from time to time. Nonetheless, Irish people are super friendly! Even at 6 am 😉 And for foodies like me, the city has a great offer of nice places with good food.

Has anyone else had this experience with Dublin? Or is it totally misplaced to your opinion?